Arapuke Forest Park Trails

Trails, trails, trails!

About

Grade: All levels available

Manawatu’s premier mountain bike park, Arapuke is home to a growing network of tracks and trails, from Grade 2 through to Grade 6.

Jack Frost is a great option for less experienced riders as it’s a Grade 2 ride, so is perfect for beginners and families. The Jack Frost trail starts just past the gate of the Scott’s Road entrance, and loops around the dam, taking an easy gradient to climb the hill beside Arapuke Road. The Rambo trail is Grade 5 and features technical rocky trails with rollovers, jumps and tricky berms leading down to the gully. Some of the trails are reasonably technical and require a good level of fitness to be able to cope with the many obstacles presented, but if you can manage that, then Arapuke is a must visit, and features some of the best single track in the lower north island.

If you’re accessing the park from 'The Bottom' at Kahuterawa Road end, you’ll need to take the reasonably steep 4km back-track up to the top. Alternatively for families or beginners, you can get to Arapuke Forest Park from 'The Top' at Scotts Road end. Park your car, unload your bikes and check out the information board on Arapuke Road to get an idea of the various trails available.

Access from bottom:Head to the end of Kahuterawa Rd, where you will find a car park on your left approximately 100 meters before the road finishes. From here, jump on your bike and carry on down the road and cross Blacks Bridge. This will take you up a 4km one-way back track to the top of the park. There is a car park and toilet at Kahuterawa Road end.

Access from top:Head out of Palmerston North on SH57, and turn left onto Scotts Rd (between Linton & Tokomaru). Follow Scotts Rd to the end, where you can park your car and start riding! If you end up riding to the bottom, there is a 4km one-way backtrack at the bridge to get back to the top.

History:Mountain Bikers have been riding at K-Loop since the late 1980s, with a network of trails created on an ad hoc basis in what was then called Woodpecker Forest. Runners, walkers and mountain bikers used to compete with motorbikes and 4WD vehicles for access.

In 2007, Palmerston North City Council purchased the land and after consultation the Kahuterawa Outdoor Recreational Area was created as an outdoor activity area close to Palmerston North City. A gate to keep out vehicles was placed at the end of Scott's Rd and the Manawatu Mountain Bike Club became active in forming a network of trails. The area became formally know at Arapuke Forest Park in 2012.

By 2009, it had become obvious that the old forest was becoming unstable in strong winds and many trails had to be abandoned due to windfall trees. PNCC decide that logging and replanting with log cycle time species such as Redwood, Gum and Kahikatea was the only option that ensured safety and meet the long term recreational goals.

After the first harvest in 2011, a plan for mountain bike and walking trail development was developed and the first trails were cut by a digger in Dec 2011. Jumping Jack was born - a trail with swooping berms and table top jumps descending from the top of ZigZag Rd for 700m.

More trails have been cut by digger each spring and finished by hand over summer, so that today there are 15km of trail, including Back Track. Trails cater for all levels from easy trails for beginners to hardcore downhill runs with jumps and drops for experts. Logging of the old pine forest will take another two summers to complete, which will open up area for more trails. At least 25km of trail will be available once complete.